10 permanent public housing units coming to southeast and west Huntsville

View full sizeThe Huntsville Housing Authority is buying four of the 126 units at Stepping Stone Condominiums on Old Monrovia Road.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Continuing its mission to scatter public housing residents across the city, the Huntsville Housing Authority is buying six condo units off Old Monrovia Road and four apartments near Grissom High School.

Development Director Carlen Williams said the housing authority is seeking HUD approval to convert the 10 condos and apartments into permanent public housing. The Stepping Stone and Stone's Throw neighborhoods are behind the Best Buy shopping center in west Huntsville; Mahogany Row is off Bailey Cove Road in south Huntsville.

The housing authority already operates 12 public housing units on Mahogany Row. Adding four more means the agency will now control about 15 percent of the apartments on that street, Executive Director Michael Lundy has said.

But south Huntsville's City Council member, John Olshefski, said that does not tell the whole story.

View full sizeHuntsville City Councilman John Olshefski (Bob Gathany/bgathany@al.com)

Speaking during the public comment portion of Monday's meeting, Olshefski said another 16 percent of the apartments on Mahogany Row are currently Section 8 rental housing.

"Really, it's housing authority homes plus Section 8 homes as far as my constituency and how I think," said Olshefski. "The number (of government-subsidized units on Mahogany Row) is more like 31 percent.

"I'm a little concerned with that."

Housing authority board Chairman Phil Redrick said families in the Section 8 housing voucher program are free to live wherever vouchers are accepted. They choose from among available Section 8 properties across the city and then negotiate a lease with the private landlord, he said.

"We cannot determine where a person will take a voucher," said Redrick, "and we cannot tell a landlord that you can't accept a voucher because you have too many already."

According to the housing authority, public housing and Section 8 rental housing comprises about 2 percent of all residences in the census tract that includes Mahogany Row.

While Olshefski commended the housing authority for keeping its Mahogany Row units well-maintained, he said the meeting agendas need work. Monday's agenda item on buying the 10 condos and apartments read simply, "Act on resolution authorizing purchase of new units," with no addresses listed.

Olshefski said he had to call Lundy to confirm that the board would be voting on Mahogany Row.